The Corner Stone January 2011

Mea Culpa

I must begin with an apology. It has been quite a while since my last edition of The Corner Stone. What with one project or another, this newsletter kept winding up on the back burner. I intend, therefore, to issue this edition as somewhat as a summary of recent goings-on here at the museum as well as an opportunity to reestablish The Corner Stone as a quarterly publication.

A Summary

Over the course of summer and fall 2010, the museum had on display a major exhibit featuring the art of Mr. Norman Maffei of Franklinville. Mr. Maffei is an accomplished artist in a number of media, particularly known for his oils and cartoons. Our exhibit featured many of his illustration and paintings that drew on his time in the artillery during WWII. We are grateful to Mr. Maffei for his interest and generous cooperation.

Our current exhibit is “Textile Arts of Cattaraugus County.” Drawing on the museum’s large collection of textiles, we have on display a number of items made by (much of it by hand) residents of Cattaraugus County. We have several lovely quilts (many from the turn of the last century), lace work, needlework, and some woven items. Of particular interest is a family register done as a sampler by a nine year old girl in 1829. The exhibit will run through March. We encourage to come and see it!

A Call to Arms

2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. In recognition of this the museum will be featuring a major exhibit on the Civil War, beginning in April and running through the summer. As part of this remembrance of the Civil War, we are pleased to announce that we will be hosting the annual reunion of descendants of the 154th NY on July 16. More information on this to follow.

We are currently looking for additional items to use in this exhibit. If anyone has any Civil War artifacts, particularly those with relevance to Cattaraugus County, that they would be willing to loan to the museum as part of this exhibit, please contact me. I can be reached at the museum (353-8200) on Wednesdays and Thursday from 9-4. Thank you.

Saturday Hours At Museum

We have made a change in our policy on Saturday hours. We will have open hours from 10:00am to 2:00pm on the third Saturday of each month between May and October. If you are looking for an interesting way to spend a Saturday afternoon consider stopping by the Museum. -Our Regular hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 to 4:00.

Recent Acquisitions

Over the past several months, the Museum has received a number of new donations. Among them are a large model of a house in Cattaraugus donated by Helen Lou Barden of Dansville, a rare Native American sandstone maskette donated by Norm Hartwell of Delevan, and a late 19th century hammered dulcimer donated by Maxine Tanner of Franklinville.

On behalf of the County Museum Board of Trustees, I wish to thank everyone who has remembered the museum with their gifts. As always, these donations are added to the museum’s collections and placed on display in rotation.

Wanted List

The persons pictured above have active warrants for their arrest. TAKE NO ACTION ON YOUR OWN. If you have information regarding the whereabouts of one of these people, contact the Sheriff’s Office at 716-938-9191 or your local law enforcement agency.